The official blog of New Mexico GLBTQ Centers and our regional gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer community centers. This blog is written by volunteer authors in addition to our Executive Director.
Glee star Chris Colfer appeared on Tuesday’s Gayle King Show to talk about being bullied in high school, winning the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, and why he’s happy to be a gay role model.
“It’s very strange to hear that people weren’t bullied in high school, probably because it was just such a constant for me,” Colfer said, referring to his Golden Globes acceptance speech in which he gave a shout-out to all of the kids who were ever told no.
Gayle King said she wasn’t bullied in high school, but stressed that she wasn’t a bully either. The two then went on to talk about the heart-wrenching stories Colfer hears from kids who watch the show.
“I think now, with the Internet and Facebook, things have gotten worse,” King told Colfer. “It’s actually scary to me about what young kids are going through.”
The two went on to talk about gay kids looking up to Colfer as a role model (“All I can be is myself,” he said) and Kurt’s relationship with his father on Glee — a relationship King said she loves.
Chris Colfer says Kurt, his breakout character on Glee, helps young people feel less lonely.
"If you look at my Facebook or my Twitter account, there's letter after letter from kids of all ages, all shapes and sizes, all races, just so thankful there's someone they can relate to," the Golden Globe–winning actor says in an interview with The Daily Telegraph.
"One of the most emotional ones I got was from a little boy who was probably five or six, saying 'Kurt makes me feel like I'm not alone.'"
In the interview Colfer shares his own experience of being bullied in high school and discusses how it helped him relate to his popular TV character.
Gay teens are suddenly popping up in major roles all over television, with Glee’s popular pairing of Kurt (Chris Colfer) and Blaine (Darren Criss) leading the way. How did gay teens go from marginalized outcasts and goofy sidekicks to some of the highest profile — and most beloved — characters on the likes of 90210, Pretty Little Liars, and Skins? And more importantly, how is this affecting real-life teens still facing the daily high-school realities of bullying, discrimination, and ignorance? The new issue of Entertainment Weekly investigates the history of gay teens on TV — from the angsty Rickie on My So-Called Life to sensitive-soul Jack on Dawson’s Creek to the slew of groundbreaking characters on Degrassi. We talk to the producers who fought for such progress, the actors who held the career-defining roles, and the activists who cheer recent advances — but are still pushing for more. Among them:
* Colfer, on his wildly flirtatious version of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” with Criss, which became the most downloaded track off the Glee Christmas album: “That was by far the gayest thing that has ever been on TV, period,” Colfer says. “Forget AbFab, forget Beautiful People and Will & Grace.” Adds creator/exec producer Ryan Murphy: “I was proud of that. I think it pushed the envelope a bit.”
* My So-Called Life creator Winnie Holzman, on ABC’s reaction to Rickie as a character when the show premiered in 1994: “The thing I got the most pushback about was in the pilot, when he puts eyeliner on in the girls’ bathroom. I remember I mentioned The Crying Game, which had just come out, and Michael Jackson wearing eyeliner [to convince the network]. So they went with it.”
* The O.C. (and Gossip Girl) exec producer Stephanie Savage on the short-lived romance between Marissa (Mischa Barton) and girlfriend Alex (Olivia Wilde) in 2005, during the height of network censorship fears (after the Janet Jackson Super Bowl incident): “We could’ve had more support in terms of making that a long-term story line. There were definitely some questions about how long we were doing this story. And we did have to do some editing to make kisses shorter and pull back on some physicality of the characters.”
And for more on our look into the history of gay teens on TV, and how a new generation of characters are making a difference in real kids’ lives, pick up the new issue of Entertainment Weekly, on stands Friday, Jan. 21.
The past few days have been good for gays. Last Thursday, January 13, North America's first GLBT History Museum opened in San Francisco, occupying 1,600 square feet of gallery and program space in The Castro District. Two debut exhibitions, Our Vast Queer Past: Celebrating GLBT History and Great Collections of the GLBT Historical Society Archives chronicle the multiplicity of experiences that has shaped perspectives of gay people both within and outside our community, a definite must-see if you're in The City by the Bay.
Meanwhile, at the 68th Golden Globe Awards Sunday, the openly gay Chris Colfer and Jane Lynch won Best Supporting acting honors (Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television) for their portrayals of Kurt Hummel and Sue Sylvester on Glee. During their acceptance speeches, Mr. Colfer thanked the show's creator Ryan Murphy, also openly gay, for being his "fairy godfather," and Ms. Lynch thanked her wife, Laura. And if that weren't enough, Glee won Best Television Series (Comedy Or Musical).
As for movies, The Kids Are All Right, a film about a lesbian couple faced with meeting the sperm donor of their children, took home the award for Best Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical), and Annette Bening won Best Actress (Comedy or Musical) for her role as one-half of the aforementioned same-sex couple.
Gay people exist, and our history is being made and documented. Hurrah!
I judge awards shows by how many times I push the mute button on the remote, and last night's People's Choice Awards — well let's just say I firmly believe I now have Carpal Tunnel.
The PCA's are unique in that the winners are notified beforehand, which is why you'll never see shots of the nominees in their seats when their names are announced. Because why would you attend if you knew you were going to lose?
This doesn't stop some winners from feigning surprise that they won, but the word must have gotten out, because I didn't see any of that phoniness this year (unfortunately).
Jane Lynch won Favorite TV Comedy Actress, meaning both top TV comedy awards were gay hogged. Glee was announced as Favorite TV Comedy at the same time, and as Jane gave her speech (thanking her partner Lara), she seemed oblivious to the fact that Corey Montieth and Chris Colfer were standing right behind her — until the last five seconds.
In the press room, Jane talks about playing Mrs. Brady, sitting in her closet and her wish for Javier Bardem and Tyne Daly to guest star on Glee.
Neil Patrick Harris won for Favorite TV Comedy Actor. He kissed David on the cheek, then gave a speech that will be hard to top this award season.
Backstage Neil was inundated with questions about twins Harper and Gideon. It's obvious that fatherhood suits him well.
Elton John made his first TV appearance since announcing his fatherhood, and was given a standing ovation. It was a sweet moment.
The final highlight was when Pauley Perrette announced the award for — well, I don't remember, because I was too busy appreciating her dress. Pauley has become one of the great equality advocates of the last few years, and she wins the award for Best Dressed.
As for the lowlights, take your pick. I almost didn't get through the first ten minutes because it featured host Queen Latifah (who was atrocious) giving us a sneak peek at The Dilemma. Um, thanks?
The first award was for Favorite Comedy Actor, presented by a dazed and confused Jennifer Aniston to Adam Sandler, who proceeded to prove why he's actually one if the unfunniest people on the face of the earth. And to add insult, he brought the other two unfunniest people on the face of the earth onstage, David Spade and Rob Schneider.
I mentioned that Queen Latifah was atrocious last night, and in all honesty, she had me reaching for the mute button numerous times. It was cringe-inducing. Below you can see her attempt to interview those vapid reality sisters. it's not pretty.
Did we mention that Kristen Stewart picked up an award for Favorite Movie Actress?
Posted by Dennis Ayers, Managing Editor on December 23, 2010
Hard to believe, but actor Mark Indelicato, who played the much-beloved gay teen character Justin Suarez on Ugly Betty (2006-2010) is still only sixteen years old. But despite his youth, the actor is very well spoken when it comes to the need for positive representations of gay teens on television.
Indelicato recently spoke with Latina.com about the similarities and differences between his role on Ugly Betty and that of Glee's Kurt Hummel. Though he praises actor Chris Colfer's performance, he has concerns over how Kurt (and other gay TV teen characters) can be "portrayed as the weakling or the person that can't stand up for themselves."
While I can see Indelicato's larger point, I'm not sure I agree exactly with it as applied to Kurt Hummel. Sure, Kurt might be physically weaker than the other male Glee teens. But most of them are football players after all. To me, he seems like one of the most powerful characters on the show.
Anyway, check out Mark Indelicato's comments in the video below. What do you think of what he has to say?
